Candle for killing insects



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT ATKINSON, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

CANDLE FOR KILLING INSECTS.

SPECIFiCAIION forming part of Letters Patent No. 424,590, dated April 1, 1890.

Application filed October 7, 1889' Serial No. 326.262. (Specimens) To all whom it 11mg concern.-

Be it known that 1, ROBERT ATKINSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Baltimore, and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Candles for Killing Mosquitoes and other Insects, of Which .the following is a full and complete specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a candle which when burned in a room will have such an effect upon the atmosphere as to make it very unhealthy for mosquitoes or other insects. I propose to combine in a candle some material which will be injurious to the health of a mosquito, and which will either kill them or cause them to become inactive.

My invention consists in the method of manufacturing these candles. I take sixteen pounds of stearine or other candle material and one pound of insect-powderPersian, Dalmatian, or other kind; mix them together and melt. I then take one quarter of a pound of powdered alum add as much boiling wa ter as will dissolve the alum, and add the solution to the stearine and mold the candles. The alum. serves to retard the combustion of the candle and may be omitted. A. little different combination gives good result. To sixteen pounds of candle material add half a pound of insect-powder, half a pound of finely-powdered tobacco, and a quarter of a pound of camphor. Melt and add alum in solution as before. The candles thus made may be incased by dipping or otherwise in a coating of ordinary candle material with alum added to retard combustion. Any quantity of the different materials may be used, these being the proportions which so far have been found to be the best adapted to the purpose. V

\Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A candle for killing insects, consisting of stearine or other equivalent material mixed with insect powder and molded around a wick, substantially as described.

2. A candle for killing insects, consisting of stearine or other equivalent material mixed with insect-powder and alum and molded around a wick, substantially as described.

ROBERT ATKINSON. Witnesses:

ARTHUR STEUART, JNo. T. MADDoX. 

